Hi Everybody,
Since my last name has "ass" in it both forwards and backwards, I feel it is my destiny to be the saddle guy. So, in my fit studio, I have a lot of saddles, a SwitchIt, and offer free saddle testing. If I were to guess, the average number of saddles that a person will test during a saddle test session in my shop is just north of 20. I've had people test every single saddle in house (over 70). I know a lot of folks are wondering "what saddle is best for me?" and if you don't have access to someplace with a selection of saddles you can try out, you might have to guess as to what will work, order it, and hope for the best. You probably don't want to do that 20 times. So, if you have no choice, here are the saddles that tend to end up in the top 3 or 4 when triathletes (male or female) try out saddles in the shop.
Cobb Randee - This thing just works for a lot of people. It's kind of noseless, kind of traditional. It seems to take all the good qualities of the Cobb Max and make them better. Start with the top level.
ISM PR 2.0 - Another one that seems to take all of the advantages of the noseless design and just works well. The padding, texture, and shape work well together. Start with the rails level and bring it up.
Fizik Mistica - I've only had this for a couple of months now, but it seems to be a hit. I typically don't have that much luck with Fizik products being the final choice. The previous model, the Tritone, had a lot of good things going for it and seemed to be especially good for women, but a couple of things that needed some refinement. The Mistica was a very good evolution. What makes it interesting, and maybe what makes it work, is that it is grippy on the top, but the sides are smooth. It also comes with more hardware than any saddle I've ever seen. Start with the rails level.
I hope that helps.
Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador
Since my last name has "ass" in it both forwards and backwards, I feel it is my destiny to be the saddle guy. So, in my fit studio, I have a lot of saddles, a SwitchIt, and offer free saddle testing. If I were to guess, the average number of saddles that a person will test during a saddle test session in my shop is just north of 20. I've had people test every single saddle in house (over 70). I know a lot of folks are wondering "what saddle is best for me?" and if you don't have access to someplace with a selection of saddles you can try out, you might have to guess as to what will work, order it, and hope for the best. You probably don't want to do that 20 times. So, if you have no choice, here are the saddles that tend to end up in the top 3 or 4 when triathletes (male or female) try out saddles in the shop.
Cobb Randee - This thing just works for a lot of people. It's kind of noseless, kind of traditional. It seems to take all the good qualities of the Cobb Max and make them better. Start with the top level.
ISM PR 2.0 - Another one that seems to take all of the advantages of the noseless design and just works well. The padding, texture, and shape work well together. Start with the rails level and bring it up.
Fizik Mistica - I've only had this for a couple of months now, but it seems to be a hit. I typically don't have that much luck with Fizik products being the final choice. The previous model, the Tritone, had a lot of good things going for it and seemed to be especially good for women, but a couple of things that needed some refinement. The Mistica was a very good evolution. What makes it interesting, and maybe what makes it work, is that it is grippy on the top, but the sides are smooth. It also comes with more hardware than any saddle I've ever seen. Start with the rails level.
I hope that helps.
Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador